DARK FALL(59)

“Christ!” Shay yelled. “Stick to the plan, brother.”

Erik stood and looked down at the bloody man. He put a hand up and then pointed to Shay.

“We’re coming,” Mr. Arengson said. “You need me. I’ll help you. I’ll tell you where they all are.”

“What the fuck is…”

Erik couldn’t finish the question before Shay shot Mr. Arengson between the eyes. His head snapped back and body went limp.

“What the fuck Shay! That was mine!”

“He needed to die right now,” Shay said. “You got your punches.”

“What was he trying to say?”

“Nothing. We have to move.”

There was a loud cheer from the crowd and then Erik heard the whistle of a man and words that made his stomach sick.

“This fight is over!”

“Oh fuck,” Erik said.

He started to run and once he heard that Kaity had won the fight, he smiled and ran faster. All he needed to do was get her to safety. Erik looked back and saw Shay making the call to Miller so they could all get the fuck out of the warehouse.

Erik pushed through the crowd and looked to the floor. There was a woman trying to sit up. She had black hair and her face was a mess. But there was no sign of Kaity. Erik looked around and for a split second he thought he saw Kaity’s feet.

Kaity’s feet dragging on the floor.

“No,” he whispered.

Erik ran faster, hitting everyone he could with his shoulders. People yelled, threw things at him, and when Erik produced his gun, all hell started to break loose. Someone yelled GUN! and the crowd started to shift. Erik realized how stupid and dangerous the situation had become, but he needed to get to Kaity.

Where the fuck was she?

What was happening?

Who had her?

Erik moved through the crowd as fast as he could and then he tripped over something. He went down. The floor was unforgiving, but the sight on the ground was even worse.

“No,” Erik said.

Kaity's lifeless body lay on the ground. Her face was covered in blood. It wasn’t blood from the fight either. Someone had sliced her face open.

Erik crawled to Kaity and looked around. There was so much movement it was impossible to see anyone. It wasn’t until Erik saw Gaige and Miller dropping to their knees that Erik remembered he had come here with other people. He just held Kaity, trying to wipe her face of the blood. He touched her neck and felt a pulse.

“She’s alive,” he said to Miller. “But she was attacked.”

“By who?” Blaine called out.

“Motherfucker,” Shay said as he caught up.

“We killed one,” Erik said. “Mr. Arengson. He’s gone.”

“We have to be gone too,” Gaige said. “Hurry.”

“What do I do?” Erik asked.

“Carry her,” Miller said. “Go out a side door and we’ll get you.”

“What about the motorcycles?” Erik asked.

“Just fucking move,” Miller bellowed.

Erik scooped Kaity up and ran with her. The crowd was still moving. People were shouting commands, yelling for help. The sight of a gun made all these businessmen uneasy.

Once outside, Erik fell to his knees with Kaity in his arms. He touched her face again, feeling the blood. The cuts were deep. Could someone die from being cut in the face? Maybe. Maybe not.

He needed to find the other guy. He did this.

Erik’s mind raced, wondering why the hell Shay killed Mr. Arengson before he finished saying what he was trying to say.

The thunder of motorcycles echoed and along with the guys came Strokner’s SUV. The back door opened and Strokner hurried out.

“Jesus Christ,” he said.

“Come on,” Gaige said. “Put her in the SUV. I’ll take you to get your ride and we have to get to the hospital. Right now.”

Erik nodded and placed Kaity in the back of the SUV. The door shut and Strokner jumped in the backseat and screamed for the driver to move. Erik looked at his bloody hands and started to shake.

This was supposed to be about revenge, not more blood. Not more pain. Not more… war.

“Come on,” Gaige growled as he touched Erik’s shoulder.

Erik spun, ready to fight.

“Easy now, brother,” Blaine said. “Let’s get your woman patched up, okay? She’s going to be okay.”

Erik shook his head.

No.

Nothing was going to be okay.

Erik looked at Shay and Shay turned his head.

If there was one thing that could tear a club apart in seconds, it was a secret.

Shay was keeping a fucking secret.





twenty-six.



Kaity opened her eyes and Erik was next to her. He leaned forward, his leather cut crunching as he did. The background noise was filled with beeps of different pieces of medical equipment hooked up to Kaity. She blinked a few times and reached for Erik. He took her hand and squeezed it.